01 August 2011

KOTBR #132 - Thr3e Wise Men Golden Zoe IPA, Neil Patrick Harris Style


Insert your own caption.

Hoosier Beer Geek is almost five years old. That's correct--five years old. As Jason said recently, we've made it to craft beer kindergarten. Or, if you like to think of anniversaries in wedding terms, this is our Wood Anniversary. Yes, I said "wood." Now get your minds out of the gutter. This isn't a Beavis & Butt-Head episode.

In our modern world, where attention spans are getting shorter every month, five years is a long time. A milestone for sure. Thus, when we met last week to do our first ever roundtable at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., milestones were on our minds. In particular, we thought of an important milestone in writing history: Who was the world's first blogger? If you Google "world's first blogger," you'll get a variety of answers. But anyone who was a regular television viewer in the early '90s knows who the world's first blogger was: Doogie Howser, M.D. You remember Doogie Howser, don't you? The teen prodigy physician who, at the end of each episode, would sit down at his computer and type an entry into his computer diary. While the diary wasn't published online, it certainly provided the template that today's bloggers have borrowed.

Doogie, of course, was played by the talented Neil Patrick Harris. You really have to admire NPH; he avoided the curse that many child actors fall prey to--substance abuse/ending up in the gutter--and became a successful actor and entertainer in adulthood. Indeed, he's hosted the Tony Awards. He's been in two Harold & Kumar movies. He was the central character in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. He's the undisputed star of How I Met Your Mother. And who can forget Neil's memorable turn in Starship Troopers?

Therefore, in honor of milestones, we offer you our review of Thr3e Wise Men's Golden Zoe IPA as Neil Patrick Harris would have done it. First up is Chris, who substitutes Mike and Jason for Harold and Kumar...



[Mike and Jason are on a mission to find Thr3e Wise Men when they happen upon Neil Patrick Harris, alone, staggering down Pennsylvania St.]
Mike: Neil, you wouldn't happen to know how to get to Broad Ripple from here, would you?
Neil Patrick Harris: Dude, I don't even know where the fuck I am right now. I was at this party earlier tonight and some guy hooked me up with this Golden Goo -- next thing I know I'm being thrown out of a moving car. I've been trippin' balls ever since.
Jason: Golden Goo? You mean Golden Zoe? We've just been driving around looking for Thr3e Wise Men so we could get some Golden Zoe too!
Neil Patrick Harris: Yeah, Thr3e Wise Men, whatever. Forget the Golden Goo, let's go get some pussy!
Mike: Huh?
Neil Patrick Harris: It's a fucking sausage fest in here, bros. Let's get some poontang, THEN we'll go to Thr3e Wise Men.
Jason: No, Neil, you don't understand. We've been craving this beer all night.
Neil Patrick Harris: Yeah, yeah. Beer, beer, beer.... what do you guys do, write for a beer blog or something? Fuck that, dudes, let's pick up some trim at a strip club. The Doogie line always works on strippers in BRV.
[sings] "NPH ain't nothin' ta fuck wit. NPH ain't nothin' ta fuck wit."
Neil Patrick Harris: Lapdance...
Jason: [Pause.] There's a gas station. I'm gonna see if I can get some directions.
Neil Patrick Harris: You don't need dir- gah! Hurry up, dudes, hurry up! I'm losing wood.
[They park, pause.]
Neil Patrick Harris: Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry...
Jason: Look, chill. Drinking this beer and writing about it is important.
Mike: We have hund.... millions of readers counting on us!
Jason: We'll be right back, Neil.
[They exit the car.]
Mike: Dude, what is the deal with Neil Patrick Harris? Why is he so horny?
Jason: I don't know, but we need some Golden Zoe pronto.
[Neil Patrick Harris silently climbs into the front seat.]
Neil Patrick Harris: [Peeling out] SAYONARA, GEEKS!



Next up is Mike, who takes us to a galaxy far, far away...



Gina tunes us in to How I Met Your Mother...

Barney Stinson reporting for duty...

These beer geeks asked me why I usually only drink scotch or whiskey at the bar when I am out with my friends and I told them that I didn’t mind beer, but I didn’t think there was a lot of depth to it. They asked me what beers I tried and I asked them what difference does it make what beer I tried, weren’t they all the same? They all worked to just get you drunk, right? They just shook their heads. One of them told me I just haven’t tried the right beer.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

I agreed to meet them at this newer place (new is always better, one of my rules) in Broad Ripple, Thr3e Wise Men if they agreed to play in a laser tag tournament with me. They told me they would be reviewing a beer called Golden Zoe. It immediately reminded me of Ted’s girlfriend and that she was the one standing in the way of my sweet new office that should be in place of the stupid old Arcadian building that I was supposed to blow up a few months ago. We were taken back into a secret meeting room, like VIP. I was hoping that there would be some ladies there to meet us, but the geeks told me they were just having their business meeting and that I could join them for business or go hang out in the bar. I chose to stay so I could teach them a few things about “business”.

I sat farthest from Jason, because he was in a suit as well. Couldn’t have him showing me up. What if some ladies walked by?

We ordered some food and drinks and they began their meeting. I don’t remember what their meeting was about because I was thinking about how I wanted to get the waitress’s number, but I learned she had the same name as my half-sister. That’s too weird.

They brought this Golden Zoe to the table and it did look a little different than what I am used to, though I mostly drink beer straight from the bottle anyway. The geeks asked me if I would drink my scotch straight from the bottle and I told them that I wouldn’t...usually. I get what they mean, I guess. I raised the glass to my nose and took a sniff. Not bad, I thought. The beer appeared cloudy and had a nice fruity aroma. The flavor had a nice mild sweetness to it. They said it was from the malt and hop balance. Whatever it was, it was going down easy. That is...wait for it...what she said. True story.



Here's Jason with the debut of Dr. HoosierBeerGut's Drink-Along Blog:

Email readers, click here to view this can't miss video on YouTube.


Finally, we have Matt behind the scenes at this year's Tony Awards...

Welcome back to the Tony Awards. I'm your host, Neil Patrick Harris. I'm honored to be hosting for the third time but even more honored to recognize the works of Mr. Scott Wise. The hardest working man in the restaurant, Twitter, hair care product, photo posing, brewing, and now live theater business.

NPH: How did it all start?
SW: At the Harvard of the Midwest, Neil: Ball State University. My first place started in the Village as Ball State Cardinals call it, and from there I grew my business aggressively.
NPH: You've now conquered the business world, but what made you go into live theater, and what made you do The Book of Mormon, War Horse, and Good People in the same year?
SW: Well, I follow everyone I can on Twitter and they put out casting calls, so I went to all of them and much to my surprise scored roles in all three programs. I'm surprised you didn't know this Neil. Do you follow my many Twitter handles?
NPH: Uhhh.....Is that all?
SW: No, I like to drink heavily as well. Particularly my head brewer's beers. His name is Omar. He doesn't have a Twitter handle though.
NPH: So you've been drinking when you are on stage?
SW: A little bit, but all I do is read one of my massive menus for my wildly successful restaurants, eat some dill chips, have another Golden Zoe and I'm good for the night.
NPH: What is a Golden Zoe?
SW: Its our house IPA at Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Company, an @brewhouse production. It's well balanced, deep copper in color, good bready malt character to stand up to our bittering hops. It has a pretty big aroma of big American hops. If you like your IPAs on the balanced side of life, this will be one you will enjoy Neil.
NPH: Running any specials soon?
SW: Well, if you followed me on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, or use the bathroom in one of my restaurants, you would know you can get 10% off with a FourSquare check-in, buy a discounted gift card, or take a picture of yourself in one of my t-shirts to get money off of your meals.
NPH: Are you accepting an award or talking about your businesses?
SW: I never waste an opportunity to talk about my businesses. Have you followed me on Twitter yet?
NPH: How do you keep your care-free curls looking so good?
SW: I dry my hair with a Dyson hair dryer that you just put your whole head in. It makes all the difference.
NPH: I'm a bit uncomfortable...
SW: Come on down for a $20 dollar large pizza and growler fill. It will make things much better. Follow me on Twitter to find out more of our great specials, Neil.
NPH: Do you ever sleep?



Thr3e Wise Men Golden Zoe IPA
Chris: 3.40 Mugs | Mike: 3.40 Mugs | Jason: 3.95 Mugs | Gina: 3.30 Mugs | Matt: 3.25 Mugs | Rod: 3.70 Mugs | Jim: 3.50 Mugs
KOTBR Score: 3.50 Mugs

29 July 2011

Random Beer Roundup - The System is Down Edition


We've closed the books on another Microbrewer's festival and are now looking forward to our next anniversary party.  Details are not quite firmed up yet, but we know the date, so mark your calendars for August 27th.  Tickets will probably be on sale soon, so keep an eye on our site.  Thanks everyone, for making these past five years exciting!  Cheers to many more.


Hoosier Beer Calendar
Events are subject to change


From the Brewers
From Clay at Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis:
Summer is in full swing and we've got lots of new beers to help quench your thirst! Cream Dream IV: A New Hop was released las week and while it is sold out in the Tasting Room already, it can be found in a number of bars/restaurants around the city... We'll be releasing Nelson, an American Pale Ale and our version of this year's Indiana Replicale, in the Tasting Room on Friday, August 26th. Firefly Wheat, Norwegian Blue and Abbey Normal are all still around, but quantities are limited and they can mostly be found in places other than the brewery. August will bring the return of Big H, our traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen, followed by Pale Ryder (the final installment of our Spaghetti Western themed Hop Trilogy) and then on August 25th Grapefruit Jungle will be making a triumphant return!

Events & Tappings:

IMA Summer Nights Series
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Fridays through the end of August enjoy Fresh•Local•Beer 
and a classic film on the lawn at the IMA

Brewer's Dinner at High Velocity in the JW Mariott
Tuesday, August 2nd
5 Sun King Beers Paired 4 Courses of Delicious Food
$35 per person
Call 317-860-4990 for Reservations

Nuvo's Best of Indy Party
Saturday, August 6th 2-7 p.m.
South Parking Lot of Sun King
Food, Beer and Entertainment

Pale Ryder Tapping
Thursday, August 19th 6:35 p.m.
Captains Cove at Victory Field

Grapefruit Jungle Tapping 
Thursday, August 25th 6-9 p.m.
Sun King Tasting Room
Music from Whitey Morgan & The 78s  Food by New York Slice

Dig IN at White River State Park
Sunday, August 28th  Noon-5 p.m.
Local Chefs, Farmers & Breweries Showcase their Wares!

Carry-out
From Todd at Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
Here is the latest from Keg Liquors in Clarksville:
Paulaner - Weisn (Germany)

At the Bars and Restaurants
From Dan at Fat Dan's Deli in Broad Ripple:
Delirium Tremens, Old Style, Upland Wheat, Flat 12 Summer Cycle, Stone IPA on tap this week at Fat Dan's
From Ryan at Scotty's Brewhouse various locations:
Scotty’s Brewhouse Northside Indianapolis now has Sun King Dream Cream IV on tap! It is $6 for a pint every day of the week.

Scotty’s Brewhouse Downtown Indianapolis will be having a tapping party for the official Gen Con Beer, Thr3e Wise Men Long Fang Abbey Ale, on Wednesday August 3rd at 7pm. Buy your official Gen Con Long Fang Abbey Ale Mugs & Growlers at Scotty’s Downtown or on www.scottysbrewhouse.com.

Thr3e Wise Men now has their new seasonal beer on tap, Long Fang Abbey Ale. Come  in and get your Growler filled on Tuesday or Friday for $6!!! We have also tapped our new Guest Tap, Sun King Norwegian Blue
From Patrick at Patrick's Kitchen and Drinks in Zionsville:
BBC Java Porter on Nitro, 3 Floyds Dreadnaught, Sun King Cream Dream IV...Bell's Oberon, and Founder's Double Trouble.....waiting on deck are Stone's Ruination, Flat 12 Half Cycle, and Upland's Preservation Pilsner.......

Upcoming Events:
Brew Haven Craft Brew Festival
Saturday, August 6   2pm-6pm   New Haven, Indiana
Samples of over 100 different beers from more than 30 breweries will be poured at the First Annual “Brew Haven” Craft Beer Festival. Many of the brews will be rare or seasonal including (but not limited to) special offerings from Upland, Flat12, Sun King, Mad Anthony, Sam Adams and New
Belgium.

Five Star Distributing, World Class Beverages, Cavalier Distributing and Aalco Distributing are lending their support and will also be present at the festival. Brewers Art Supply will be on hand to help explain the hobby of homebrewing. Old Crown Coffee Roasters will be pouring their own kind
of brew. And finally, the members of M.A.S.H. (Fort Wayne Homebrew Club) will be pouring 50 of their own handcrafted beers including some that recently won awards at the Indiana State Fair Brewers’ Cup, one of the nation’s largest homebrew competitions.

Tickets can be purchased at Trion Tavern or through www.triontavern.com. Advance tickets cost $25 and include: unlimited samples, a souvenir tasting glass, a meal and water. A limited number of tickets will be sold the day of the event for $30. Designated driver tickets will also be available for $5. A portion of the proceeds will go to the New Haven Downtown Improvement District. This will be a smoke-free event both under the tent and inside the bar.

For the full lineup and more information…
Visit us at: www.triontavern.com
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/brewhavenfestival
Follow us on Twitter: @BrewHaven
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Buffalo Wild Wings Presents FESTIV-ALE 2011, A Celebration of
Beer Tasting brought to you by Kahn’s Fine Wines & Spirits  
Leading the fight against cystic fibrosis, the Indiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation will again host the twelfth annual Buffalo Wild Wings Presents FESTIV-ALE, A
Celebration Of Beer Tasting, Brought to you by Kahn’s Fine Wine and Spirits. The event will
be held Saturday, August 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 200 S. Meridian (corner lot of Jackson and Meridian Sts.)
“Anyone 21 years or older wishing to positively impact the lives of individuals affected by cystic
fibrosis is encouraged to attend,” said Tiffane Dobbs, Development Director for the Indiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “With nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised from this event going to support research, patrons will have a great time taste testing a variety of beers and appetizers while supporting a very worthy cause.”
The event brings together beers from over 30 Indiana and Midwest microbreweries and distributors.  For those who prefer alternative beverages, samples of specialty martinis from Subterra will also be featured.
In addition to sampling beverages, guests will also be able to sample tasty cuisine from several area restaurants. Further, all guests will have the opportunity to participate in an Instant Bar raffle, bid on silent auction items from local establishments, play cornhole sponsored by Circle City Athletics and enjoy music from one of Indy’s hottest bands, Sour Mash 7. 
All food and drink are included in ticket price.
To purchase tickets, call (317) 202-9210 or visit: Indiana.cff.org/festivale. Tickets are also available for purchase at select Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants or any Kahn’s Fine Wines & Spirits. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door with all proceeds benefiting the Indiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Donations exceeding $15 are tax-deductible. Event may sell out.
Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a nonprofit donor-supported organization, is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease. Cystic fibrosis is the most prevalent genetic disease among young Americans today, affecting some 30,000 individuals in the United States. Cystic fibrosis leads to chronic lung infections and severe digestive complications for those affected by the fatal disease. For further information about cystic fibrosis or FESTIV-ALE, call (317) 202-9210 or go to http://indiana.cff.org/festivale.

*************************

Herron-Morton Place Oktoberfest
We are holding an Oktoberfest on Sept. 24th at our park (1900 block of Alabama). It is $5 for advanced tickets and $10 at the door- all proceeds will go towards an endowment to maintain the HMP Park (event location). So far we will be serving Upland Beer, Fountain Square Brewing samples, and Schlalfy Beer samples as well as featuring live music from Hero Jr. Food vendors include Ivey Spice and Sweet Cakes by Ronda. You can get additional information from the following: 

oktoberfesthmpf.com@oktoberfestHMPFFacebook Event: Herron-Morton Oktoberfest



27 July 2011

Upland is expanding

The beer internet is buzzing about Upland's recently announced brewery expansion.  If you haven't already seen this elsewhere, here's the quick and dirty.

Upland is currently one of the state's largest breweries, at 11,000 barrels produced annually.  They have just acquired a new facility at 301 W Grimes Ln., about a mile south of the current brewery, that clocks in at 47,000 sq ft.  They will be moving their brewing equipment from the current brewpub on 11th St. to the new facility, with plans to expand the brewhouse to a 25,000 barrel annual production capacity.  The new location is along the upcoming B-Line Trail, which Upland thinks will only help the area's revitalization.

The existing brewery will be converted in to a small scale brewery designed to supply the brewpub with more limited run and experimental beers.  This will allow Upland to try out new beers in the brewpub and limited production quantities before determining if the new beers will be worth ramping up to full production.

Now you may be asking yourself - "didn't I just hear about Upland expanding?"  The answer is yes.  Upland recently installed a 150 barrel fermentation tank at their current brewery.  They have expanded their existing facility to include a barrel storage facility for their lambics.  On top of that, a new growler fill station entitled "Hoosier Knights" is in the works for downtown Bloomington.  We've even heard a rumor that the new production brewery will make room for an expanded brewpub on 11th St.  Needless to say, Upland has been quite busy in the past year.

If you'd like to check out the new brewery location, Upland is having an open house next Wednesday, August 3, from 5-7PM.  Keep in mind this is pre-brewery equipment installation.  Below is a Google Maps graphic to help identify which building Upland is moving in to.

301 W Grimes Ln, Bloomington, IN

Upland's expansion doesn't only represent their success, but also the rapidly growing Indiana beer industry.  Here's to hoping that not even 25,000 barrels is enough!